HAVERHILL, Mass. – Steven Hausmann, PGA (Amherst CC) started with a barrage of birdies and finished with an unexpected eagle to win the fifth and final New England PGA Stroke Play Series tournament of the regular season with a 5-under par 65 at Haverhill Country Club.
Hausmann birdied four of his first seven holes – the first, third, fourth and seventh – with just one bogey and was three-under through seven. He then hopped on the par train with nine consecutive pars before delivering what proved to be the winning shot, a 165-yard hole-out from the rough for an eagle on the par-4 17th.
“You couldn’t see it because it was up over a mound and it’s an uphill shot,” Hausmann recalled. “I was walking across the bridge and walking up on the green and Troy (Pare) said ‘It’s in’ so that was fun, it’s nice when I don’t have to putt.”
Despite not having to putt on the 17th, Hausmann’s putter was a big reason for his success on Tuesday, holing about a 20-foot putt on the first and a difficult downhill putt on the third.
“I hit a lot of greens and the greens here are so good, the ball was rolling great,” he said. “You could really trust the roll and just get it going and focus on getting it online and the ball was going to roll out real nice.”
Shawn Warren, PGA (Falmouth CC) finished one stroke behind Hausmann at 4-under par 66, aided by four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 12th hole. Liam Friedman, PGA (Nashawtuc CC) and Stephen Galanis, PGA (Weston GC), each shot 3-under par to finish two shots behind Hausmann in a tie for third. Nineteen players finished even-par or better, including 14 who posted under-par rounds.
Tuesday’s tournament was the final Stroke Play Series event of the regular season. Points from all five Stroke Play Series events and the Chapter Championships will be used to determine the top 54 players in the Avidia Cup Standings, who will advance to the Avidia Bank Cup Finals. Due to COVID-19, the Avidia Cup Finals will be moved from the originally scheduled site, Portland CC. The NEPGA is actively working to secure a site and date for the Finals.
Thank you to Haverhill Country Club and host PGA Professional Mark Mangion for welcoming 75 NEPGA professionals to the pristine facility for the event. Thank you to Adam Casey and Bushnell golf for supporting the Stroke Play Series, and title partner Avidia Bank, for making the entire Stroke Play Series and Avidia Bank Cup possible.